This invention relates to gutter guards. More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement on the gutter guard disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,383.
Gutterings arranged around a building, home or business for catching runoff water from the roofs have been deficient in several aspects. Most particularly, structures located in areas near to trees have often become clogged by an excess buildup of leaves within the gutter. This buildup causes the gutter itself to function improperly, often allowing trapped water to run over the end of the gutter, rather than to be transported to a downspout.
Various attempts have been made to provide screen guards or covers for gutters.
While such guards are successful in keeping the larger foreign elements from the gutter, they have been found to be deficient in other respects. U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,467 to H. M. Steel and U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,378 to E. L. Turner, have set out various types of gutter guards. However, the guards suggested there are thick, relatively unsightly, or flimsy and difficult to open.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,383, on which this patent is an improvement, discloses a gutter guard which is deficient in that it allows rain water to run across the gutter screen without passing through the screen. Furthermore, the clip which attaches the gutter guard to the gutter does not allow full opening of the guard for cleaning.
Finally, the gutter guard disclosed in this patent employs a hem on the roof side of the screen. This hem causes a buildup of trash along its leading edge, further decreasing the amount of water which is allowed to pass through the screen into the gutter. The design of the screen itself makes installation difficult, because the screening cross members are in commercial construction of uneven assembly.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved gutter guard.
It is another object of this invention to provide an effective means for attaching the guard to the gutter, so that the gutter itself may be easily and readily cleaned.
It is another object of this invention to provide a gutter guard which easily allows water to pass through it directly into the gutter without any surface water runoff.
It is another object of this invention to provide gutter guards which reduce the capillary loss of water previously experienced by prior art gutter guards.
It is still another object of this invention to prepare gutter guards which do not allow excessive buildup of trash at the point of contact between the gutter screen and the roof.
These and other objectives are obtained by preparing the apparatus of the instant invention.